“Yeah,” Quinn agrees. “The Hobbit Hole never rented well, and so it’s become a condo available when someone needs a place to land. Sydney staying there didn’t lose us any money on rentable spaces, and she could deal with reno stuff right there in the condo itself. I felt it was a good move, while not having to rely on her at the bar.”
Jack grimaces. “Not how things worked out?”
“No. I am months behind on the project. Not entirely her fault, but it is a factor. She hasn’t communicated with the owners—about a quarter of the condos in Silver Spring are privately owned. And today, she gave me what she called her two weeks’ notice.” Quinn rolls his eyes. “Two weeks’ notice of what, I’m not sure, because she has more or less already moved out to live with her boyfriend from what I can tell.”
“Sounds simple to me,” Jack says. “She’s out. Deal’s broken.”
“Agreed,” chimes in Baylor. “We can lessen the damage of ending the deal, but she’s the one breaking it. That reno has to get on track before the warm weather. Isn’t that what you said, Quinn?”
With a sharp nod of agreement, Quinn puffs out a breath, as if he expected more resistance, and I am sure he did. None of my brothers, or myself, are quick to let anyone go. But, when it hurts the family businesses and Bear Valley, sometimes there aren’t many other choices.
“I want Theo. He’s my first pick.” Quinn looks at me. “You going to be okay if I ask your boy? If I feel out whether he would be interested?”
“Fuck yeah I’m fine with Theo being one building over.”
“Oh hell,” Baylor says under his breath, amused and wary at the same time.
“For the love of god, Matt, you’ve gone and slept with him?” Quinn accuses, and I’m not sure if the look in his eye is humor.
“Not your business if I did.”
“Jordy would be a good option too,” Quinn says, letting it go. Bishop frowns.
“Not sure Lucien would be keen on changing Jordy’s living situation without thinking about it first.” Bishop says, but we all nod. Lucien Moretti, a wealthy businessman, foots the bill for Jordy’s college expenses, including where he lives. And he chose somewhere with the best security in Mirror Lake. It’s definitely not the Hobbit Hole.
“Maybe we want to make sure we approach Theo with this as a business deal, then,” Baylor suggests, and Jack quickly agrees. “Not an invitation to house Matt’s booty-call one condo over from him.”
“More than a booty call, Mr. Most Eligible.”
“I swear to god, Matty, Black Diamond can not lose another great worker. Not one like Theo.”
“Theo is a grown-ass adult. What we do won’t affect his relationship with you or Black Diamond, Q. I agree this should be a business deal he can take or leave, no different than what we offered Sydney and everyone else before her. In fact, the ask should come from you all, not me.” I gesture to include Quinn, Jack, and Baylor.
“Agreed,” Jack says.
“Let me get clarity around what Sydney has and, more likely,hasn’tdone in terms of the property and get her stuff out of there. Then me and Jack and Baylor can talk to Theo about it.”
“Sounds good, Quinn,” Jack says.
I like this side of Quinn. He’s always been good at what he does, but ever since he and Jack sorted their shit out last year, he seems more confident to speak up. Some of that is Bish’s influence, too. “Great.” Quinn sags against Bishop. “It’s stressing me the fuck out.”
Later that night, Baylor finds me. “So, you and Theo, huh? Finally went there.”
“I believe I told you it was only a matter of time.” Theo and I have shared a month of kissing and one intimate-to-the-point-of-naked moment, but it’s the start of something. I know it.
“So you did.” Baylor slips into the silences I am now used to around him. He’s so damned serious lately. He might write aching lyrics that have made Caswell Vaughn, the singer who performs them, the Heartbreak Prince of the music industry, but he also wrote a novelty song calledMagic Dick. Sometimes, like when he has played the live shows this past year at Black Diamond, I get glimpses of the Baylor I knew growing up. More often, I see a guy on the fast track to become a grumpy old man if he doesn’t watch it.
“You can crash at my place, if you want, B,” I offer when we are all about to call it a night and head home. Quinn and Bish already took off with Liam and Piper.
“Nah.” Baylor shrugs the suggestion off. “I need to get back to the farm. I’ll meet you at our usual place by the base lift in the morning.”
Of course. God forbid anyone try to separate Baylor Mann from his solitude.
“There’s a trick to it.” Baylor surprises me by continuing the conversation about my social media presence.
“A trick to what?”
“Performing.” His eyes look away in an unseeing gaze. “When you are up there—in front of people—don’t worry about being you. It’s not about you. It’s about the crowd, the audience. Whatever you feel in front of people, they are going to feel, too. And people always remember how you made them feel.”
